Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith headline USWNT players to watch at SheBelieves Cup

The SheBelieves Cup, hosted by U.S. Soccer every spring, may not be a World Cup or an Olympics, but it has still become one of the most important events on the calendar for the U.S. women's national team. That's because the tournament has served as a valuable testing ground for new players on the USWNT, helping the next stars of the team secure their spots.

— Watch the SheBelieves Cup: USWNT vs. Czech Republic, 2/17, 11 p.m. ET, ESPN

Look no further than midfielder Rose Lavelle, who made her USWNT debut at the 2017 SheBelieves Cup. The USWNT played poorly overall, coming in last place, but Lavelle sparkled in that tournament and has been a mainstay ever since, eventually winning the Bronze Ball at the Women's World Cup two years later. Defender Tierna Davidson has a similar story: She joined the 2018 SheBelieves Cup with just one cap to her name but proved herself at the highest level and eventually secured a spot on the 2019 World Cup-winning squad.

Now, with World Cup qualifiers this summer and the World Cup next year, USWNT coach Vlatko Andonovski has made it clear he will be using the 2022 SheBelieves Cup starting this week to find the next stars of the team again. Veterans such as Alex Morgan, Megan Rapinoe, Christen Press and Tobin Heath have been left off the roster in lieu of players who Andonovski says deserve a closer look.

«I want to give them maximum minutes or whatever minutes they earn so we can evaluate every aspect of their game, in the training environment or game setting,» Andonovski told ESPN, adding: «If in SheBelieves we call any of the senior players, then we're not going to be able to see the younger ones.»

There are some younger players on the roster who have already found their breakthrough and